Heat distributor



Nov. 10,1936. 1.. F. CHASE 2,060,364

HEAT DISTRIBUTOR- Filed Oct. 13, 1934 INVENT R, [ucz'ua fsl'cr 6%46? BY.1

ATTORNEY another modification of the device; and i Patented Nov. 10,1936 STATES PATENT OFFlCE HEAT DISTRIBUTOR Lucius Foster Chase, LosAngeles, Calif. Application October 13, 1934, Serial No. 748,208

2 Claims. (CI. 98-40) This invention relates to appliances for diffusingheated gases and the products of combustion, and more particularly foroutdoor use as in heating orchards and the like.

Among the objects are: The provision of a device which will receivegases and products of combustion flowing from a conduit or stack in onedirection and deflect them laterally, and more particularly fordiffusion of heat in out-of-doors areas, which device will serve also asa closure or roof of the conduit, thereby shielding the latter and anyassociated device from rain or moisture, and which also prevents theheated gases from passing out from the end of the conduit; to providemeans for dispersing the gases laterally in prearranged directions foruniform distribution of heat over the area to be heated, to obtain thisspread or dispersion of hot gases at a comparatively low elevation sothat in orchards the heat will become diffused below the limbs of thetrees, which device will not obstruct free flow of gases through andfrom the heating appliance to which it may be attached, and which ismovable to close all draft through said conduit and thereby extinguishcombustion in a heater to which the gas conducting conduit leads, andwhich arrangement may be easily attached to or removed from the conduitsor stacks of existing heating devices.

Additional objects are: to provide a form of heat 'difluser which issimple, may be produced and sold at a low cost, and requires a minimumof work on an existing conduit for application of the difluser thereto.4

Other objects will appear as this description proceeds.

with the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel and useful formation, construction, interrelation andcombination of parts, members and features, as well as mode and methodsof use thereof and steps and performances taken and had, all ashereinafter described, shown in the drawing and finally point= ed out inclaims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of the present heater;

Fig. 2 is a plan of same; Pi". 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, partlyin section, showing the details of the Figs. 1 and 2 form of this deviceon an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modification of the deviceFig. 5 is another view similar to Fig. 3 showing Fig. 6 is a fragmentarysectional view showing another form of the device.

No special showing of the heating or combustion unit itself is made asthis unit may be of any preferred type and does not form part of thisin- 5 vention.

' In general, this heater with the diffusion device will spread hotgases and products of combustion over the area of an orchard and therebyraise the temperature of the area as uniformly as may be 10 possible.Obviously the rapid upward flow of the heated gases provides only a fewspaced hot spots in such an area and many devices have been gases and todiffuse them over the entire area and '15 spread them at an elevationsufliciently low to produce the general effect of gently upwardlymovingwarmth coveringthe entire area, and which diffusion is produced beforethe elevation of the lower branches of trees is reached. The 20 most ofthe diffusion devices hitherto produced possess certain defects whichthis invention is designed to correct.

In the figures: The conduit or stack 13 provides a draft for producingcombustion and for giving an initial vertical impulse to the hot gases.

At a predetermined height, a cover D is provided which prevents egressof the gases in the direction of that of the conduit, also ingress ofrain or moisture. This cover- D has extensions I0 whereby it may berotated relatively to conduit B. Attached to member D is a sleeve Cwhich fits around conduit B. Holes of any preferred form, as It, areformed in sleeve C and corresponding holes Ii formed in conduit Badapted to register with holes H in sleeve C. These paired holes are solocated in the two members that by rotation of sleeve 0 they no longerregister and no outlet for the gases through conduit B exists. That isto say, the

holes- II and I2 are arranged in circumferentially extending rows whichare spaced apart longitudinally of the conduit B and the sleeve 0,respectively; the holes of alternate rows are alined with each other andare disallned from the holes of the other rows longitudinally of theconduit and the sleeve, respectively: the closed areas between adjacentholes of each row are at least as long as the openings, and corre=sponding rows in the conduit and sleeve are dis- 5c posed in commontransverse planes for alinement and disalinement of the holes in thesleeve with and from the holes in the conduit simply byrotation of thesleeve relative to the conduit.

Since the gases may not pass out through the showing these ring top ofconduit B, they are deflected transversely through the registering holesll, l2, and pass in a horizontal direction outward from conduit B, andat the same time tend to flow vertically upward as soon as they passfrom the conduit. In order to distribute the gases as they tend to rise,deflectors I: are formed which project diagonally upward from the top ofeach of the holes l2, and the gases striking against these areconstrained to spread diagonally upward from conduit B, as is obvious.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, these deflectors are produced bycutting out the rectangular holes on three sides and bending the metalupward to take the diagonal position shown.

Obviously, the sleeve, having holes I! to cobe formed to slip inside ofB instead of surrounding it, and this modification is shown in Fig. 4,in which sleeve E is formed to fit inside conduit B, the sleeve beingattached to cover D having projecting portions or handles III forrotation. In this form the deflectors 16 are formed in the body ofconduit B itself, the inner sleeve E having the metal, cut from theholes I therein, entirely removed. This form of construction is obviousfrom that previously described and shown in Fig. 3.

A modification of either of the before-describedstructures shown inFigs. 3 and 4 is that shown in Fig. 5, which differs from those beforedescribed inthat the deflecting means for the gases are produced by thinmetal rings having the form of short truncated cones with the largerdiameter placed upward. These rings are shown at H and are either weldedto or forced on the outer member, whether it be the conduit B or the,outer sleeve C. In the figure distributors, the outer of the twocoacting and relatively rotatable members is B, the sleeve being theinner member indicated at E. In this construction the holes is in thesleeve E and 15 in conduit B are formed by punching out all of the metalas indicated.

Another modification of this general form, as obvious from the drawingand the prior descriptions. Conduit B surrounds inner sleeve E, holes I!in conduit B being punched clear while holes ll in inner sleeve F arecut on three sides only and the metal bent inward toward the axis of theconduit B to form deflectors i8, which deflectors extend inward, asshown, to guide the upwardly flowing gases laterally outward from theholes. .These deflectors may provide a sufllcient lateral impulse tocause complete distribution outwardly around conduit B, or outerdistributors as rings I! may also be used, as shown in Fig. 6. In any ofthese forms shown, or modifications thereof, the relation between theholes in the two relatively rotatable members is such that if the sleevebe turned to some predetermined position, all exits for the gases areclosed, the draft thereby stopped and combustion in the heating unitceases. The ease with which combustion may be almost immediately stoppedby merely rotatoperate with similar holes ii in conduit 13, may

ing a sleeve through a few degrees provides a desirable and importantfeature.

In large orchards where a considerable number of such heaters are used,they may all be extinguished within a comparatively short time withoutneed of any considerable number of workers. Such devices are used onlyat sporadic intervals and the time of their need cannot be predicted, sothat the quick assembly of any large number of operators for suchspecial occasions is diflicult. Hence, the ability to manipulate andcontrol a large number of heaters with the aid of but few persons isboth desirable and advantageous.

Having described my invention in connection with illustrativeembodiments, forms, proportions and arrangements of parts, it will beunderstood that many variants thereof are possible to those skilled inthe art, and my invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to thespeciflc construction herein described and shown,-as changes in thesizes, proportions, configurations, arrangements, assemblage,interaction, juxtaposition and mechanical relations, as well asadditions, omissions,

substitutions, combinations and alterations of forms, parts, members andfeatures may be made without departing from the broad spirit of thisinvention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. An air or gas distributing device comprising a pair of interfittingrelatively rotatable tubular elements, means closing corresponding endsof said elements, each element having a plurality of circumferentiallyextending rows of air or gas outlet openings, said 'rows of openingsbeing spaced apart longitudinally of said elements, the openings of therespective rows being relatively staggered so that air or gas may flowin substantially all radial directions from the device, the closed areabetween each two adjacent openings of each row being at least as long asthe openings, corresponding rows of openings of the respective elementsbeing disposed for alinement and disalinement by relative rotation ofthe elements. deflector plates extending into the innermost tubularelement from the outer ends of the openings in said innermost tubularelement as regards the direction of flow of air or gas through saidinnermost tubular element, and other deflector plates extendingoutwardly from the outer ends of the openings in the outermost tubularelement.

2. An air or gas distributing device comprising a pair of interfittingrelatively rotatable tubular elements, means closing corresponding endsof said elements, each element having openings therein arranged to beallned with and disalined from the openingsin the other element byrelative rotation of said elements, deflector plates extending into theinnermost tubular element from the outer ends of the openings in saidinnermost tubular element as regards the direction of flow of air or gasthrough said innermost tubular element, and other deflector platesextending outwardly from the outer ends of the openings in the outermosttubular. element.

' 5' LUCIUS FOSTER CHASE.

